topic Re: Preferred method for temporarily twisting the plan view for a profile match in Model Space in Civil 3D Forum

Preferred method for temporarily twisting the plan view for a profile match in Model Space

RobertEVs — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 17:32:19 GMT

At times in my Model space, I want to split the view into two horizontals viewports creating a temp P&P of a sample line or Alignment in top then have the corresponding profile view/Section View in the bottom half of the split Viewport. My question and procedure to make sure the Alignment (ALG) or Sample line (SL) are as close to horizontal in the Top VP as possible is the run DVIEW, select the SL or ALG the TWist and spin to get it close to horizontal and use that.

Is there another simpler way to do this in the model? I don't do this that often but after decades of using Civil is there another way I am unaware of.

Re: Preferred method for temporarily twisting the plan view for a profile match in Model Space

Cadguru42 — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 19:42:17 GMT

I don't twist anything in model space. I just split the screen either left/right or top/bottom depending on the majority of the plan view layout's direction. For label placement knowing that the plan view layout will be twisted, I have a layout with a huge viewport in it. I do the UCS/NEW/3POINT in that viewport (never model space) and get it to match the sheet's layout. Then create a named view and move any labels how I want them to look in the plot. Repeat for other sheets.

Re: Preferred method for temporarily twisting the plan view for a profile match in Model Space

RobertEVs — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 20:22:06 GMT

Thanks. Anything wrong with using DVIEW TWist? It works for me and when I'm done, I use my View Cube to get back to normal view. I know I asked for another way but wondering why you do not twist anything in MS

Re: Preferred method for temporarily twisting the plan view for a profile match in Model Space

MMcCall402 — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 21:02:27 GMT

My preferred method is to run USC and align it to an object, then type plan and then use the <current ucs> selection. ... and remember that I've done this as it will effect any points I try to insert or xrefs that are added.

I usually work thru viewports that are rotated and leave MS alone. The USC/PLAN method makes everything relative to the current view. (snaps, scale, dimension orientation, etc)

Re: Preferred method for temporarily twisting the plan view for a profile match in Model Space

tcorey — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 12:55:36 GMT

The only simpler way would be if you have to create many sheets. Then you would use Plan Production Tools.

Re: Preferred method for temporarily twisting the plan view for a profile match in Model Space

Cadguru42 — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 13:04:48 GMT

@RobertEVs wrote:
Thanks. Anything wrong with using DVIEW TWist? It works for me and when I'm done, I use my View Cube to get back to normal view. I know I asked for another way but wondering why you do not twist anything in MS

I don't use DVIEW/twist because it doesn't make ACAD objects align with the direction of the viewport (i.e., MLEADERs, MTEXT, etc.). That's a long debate (like the Left Twix / Right Twix debate) and everyone has their personal preference. I find that if you do DVIEW/twist in the model space it's a constant battle anyway because for a long run of sheets there is almost never the same rotation for each sheet. That means constantly changing the DVIEW/twist. Maybe named views can help with that, but I find that messing with model space anything can cause issues when other people get into the drawing and don't understand why their cursor is rotated.

And it doesn't really matter since C3D is so old it's annotative system predates core ACAD's, so they just stay rotated to the view no matter what. The issue is that if you try to use model space to place labels, then change the rotation to the next sheet, then a C3D label might overlap with the next sheet due to the rotation change. There's no real way to tell if it'll overlap.

Re: Preferred method for temporarily twisting the plan view for a profile match in Model Space

tcorey — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 13:05:05 GMT

You might like this little LISP I wrote. After loading it, type ppvp. Pick an alignment. Your viewports will be split into 2 horizontal, plan in one, profile in the other. It doesn't apply a Dview, but could if you just want to twist to the line between alignment start point and end point. That would be pretty simple.

(defun c:ppvp ( / aln alnname pvs cnt pv cvp alne pve ) (vl-load-com) (setq aln (vlax-ename->vla-object (car (entsel "\nSelect Alignment: ")))) ;select existing alignment (while (not (= (vlax-get-property aln 'ObjectName) "AeccDbAlignment")) (setq aln (vlax-ename->vla-object (car (entsel "\nYou must select an Alignment. Try again: ")))) ) (setq alnname (vlax-get aln 'Name)) (setq pvs (vlax-get aln 'ProfileViews)) (setq cnt (vlax-get pvs 'Count)) (setq pv (vlax-invoke pvs 'Item 0)) (vl-cmdf "-vports" "si") (vl-cmdf "-vports" 2 "h") (setq cvp (getvar "CVPORT")) (setq alne (vlax-vla-object->ename aln)) (setvar "cvport" 2) (vl-cmdf "Zoom" "O" alne "") ;(if (= cvp 2) ; (setvar "cvport" 3) ; (setvar "cvport" 2) ; ) (setq pve (vlax-vla-object->ename pv)) (setvar "cvport" 3) (vl-cmdf "zoom" "o" pve "") ;(vl-cmdf "vports" "sa" (strcat alnname " PP")) (princ) )

Re: Preferred method for temporarily twisting the plan view for a profile match in Model Space

AllenJessup — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 16:41:33 GMT

For something simple like this I use DVTwist. I use a lisp that lets me select a line to align the view. I don't have access to it right now. But, if you search for DVPick.lsp you should find it.

Re: Preferred method for temporarily twisting the plan view for a profile match in Model Space

AllenJessup — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 15:46:48 GMT

@RobertEVs I'm finally back to work. Here are a few Lisps I use with DVTwist.